Spring 2017 first timers post!

[naturegeek168]

One of my buckeyes decided to strike a pretty pose for me today

 

[naturegeek168]

This is Mars, she is my favorite. Shhh... don't tell the others!

 

[AUChickenGal]

Hope it's not too late to join in. I have an order of chicks coming from Meyer Hatchery next week. These are actually my third set of chicks, but this is the first time I'll be brooding them myself (a coworker raised my first two sets), so I still consider myself a first timer. I'm so excited! I set up their brooder today and am anxiously waiting for a phone call from the post office in a few days.

 

[Magnolia7330]

Hope it's not too late to join in. I have an order of chicks coming from Meyer Hatchery next week. These are actually my third set of chicks, but this is the first time I'll be brooding them myself (a coworker raised my first two sets), so I still consider myself a first timer. I'm so excited! I set up their brooder today and am anxiously waiting for a phone call from the post office in a few days.

What kind of chicks did you order?

 

[naturegeek168]

I have officially turned into one of those crazy chicken ladies!

 

[bajabirdbrain]

Hope it's not too late to join in. I have an order of chicks coming from Meyer Hatchery next week. These are actually my third set of chicks, but this is the first time I'll be brooding them myself (a coworker raised my first two sets), so I still consider myself a first timer. I'm so excited! I set up their brooder today and am anxiously waiting for a phone call from the post office in a few days.

Oh, Goodie! Some new chick questions, pictures, and stories, yipeee. Are you using a heat lamp(ugh) or a MHP? Info on your brooder, coop, and run, please. Our Meyer's girls were 11 weeks old today. Another supervised out of the run experience which is big fun.

Looking forward to hearing your experiences. Good Luck. Bajabirdbrain

 

[Magnolia7330]

Our chicks will be 9 weeks old tomorrow. They no longer sound like babies; they sound like grown up chickens!

 

[AUChickenGal]

What kind of chicks did you order?

I ordered a Delaware, a Salmon Faverolles, and a Black Australorp - all pullets. I also have two Easter Egger pullets coming (for a friend), and a Meal Maker. I'm excited to play "guess the breed" with that last one. I already have five older chickens - 3 who are 9 months old (2 Easter Egger pullets and 1 Speckled Sussex pullet) and 2 who are 17 weeks old today (1 Buff Orpington pullet and 1 Speckled Sussex cockerel who was supposed to be a pullet). One of the Easter Eggers is currently trying to go broody; I really wish she had started this earlier so I could try to foster the chicks with her and not worry about brooding them myself!

Are you using a heat lamp(ugh) or a MHP? Info on your brooder, coop, and run, please.

I'm using a heating plate. I plan on brooding the babies inside the house in a large dog crate for the first few weeks, then moving them outside with a huddle box (still in their crate) near the older birds for a few more weeks before starting the integration process. I was able to integrate this winter's chicks by 9 weeks using the "panic room" method and hope that will work as well this time around as it did last time. It's hot enough here that I should be able to get them outside quickly if everything goes well.

The coop is 6' x 8'. It's just a prefab, but I've been very happy with it so far. I rent and plan on moving in about a year, so I didn't want to put a lot of money or time into something more permanent. For a run, they have an approximately 25' x 25' area that is surrounded by electric poultry net. They also get a little free ranging time every evening while I feed my horse and do other barn chores.


Thanks for all the good thoughts! I've been trying to complete my little flock for almost a year now; I'm excited to finally have my "wish list" of breeds completed.

 

[bajabirdbrain]

They are only a little over a month old I wasn't sure if I had to kind had to put them on the roost a couple of times here and there to get them accustomed to it kind of teach them

Hi! Our 11 girls did not use the roost until 10 weeks and now at 11 weeks use it exclusively at night instead of huddling on the floor of the coop!

 

[AUChickenGal]

Just got my shipping notification!